


A Foxy Valentine

by Prester_John



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Dinner, F/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 02:33:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8269397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prester_John/pseuds/Prester_John
Summary: Nick has a Valentine's Day date. But who with?
Written for /trash/'s Thematic Thursday.





	

"Well someone's all set for valentine's day!"

"With insights like that, It's a wonder why you haven't made detective yet," Nick smiled; Judy was right, though. He'd swapped his uniform for a suit, a nice one. And was grabbing a box of chocolates and some flowers from his locker.

Judy chuckled as she opened her own locker. "You should introduce me too her. I'd love to meet the vixen who could turn Nick Wilde's head. Maybe we could even arrange a double date."

"Nice idea fluff, but she's... a little shy. I'm not sure it'd go over well." Nick shut his locker and slid the gifts into his bag. "But maybe in the future sometime." He gave a weak smile. He didn't like lying to Judy, but her meeting his date... He knew it wouldn't end well.

"Well that's a pity." Judy started pulling off her top. "I'll tell Jack you'll think about it though."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Nick nodded, and left the locker room.

His exit from the headquarters was similarly problematic. A bunch of officers would keep asking for more information. Who Nick Wilde was dating was the most important secret in the department, it seemed.

"It's like high school sometimes," Clawhauser laughed as Nick vented his problems. "They don't know who you're dating, and it drives them crazy."

"High school was a little different for me." Nick thought back. He'd been living on the streets then, ashamed to show his face back home. It was why tonight was so important.

"Well sure, you must have been the coolest fox on the block. Still, if you ever change your mind, be sure to tell me. It'd be great to know who you're dating." Clawhauser picked up another of his Gazelle-branded chocolates and sighed contently. "It's always nice when things work out."

Nick nodded, and headed for the door. Where Bogo was waiting for him.

"Wilde."

"Chief." They stared at each other for a moment. "Well, as much as I love our little chats, I should get going. It's Valentines and I-"

Bogo pinched the bridge of his nose as he held up a hoof to interrupt. "You know I don't approve of this, right?"

Nick sighed. Bogo had found out, of course -- He was the best detective on the force, even before he was made chief. And of course the phone call. But Nick wasn't going to back down. "Look Chief, who does it hurt? I just don't like to think of her cooped up there, alone."

Bogo rolled his eyes. "As I say, I don't approve of it. But I also don't care about what you do with your life." Nick smiled, about to say something but Bogo cut him off: "Also, tell her I said hello."

Nick's smile turned from smart ass to genuine. "I think she'd like that, Chief."

\---

Nick rang the buzzer. "It's Nick Wilde, I have reservations for two at your best table."

A crackly voice came back, "Do you ever stop with the smug, Mister Wilde?" He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. But the door beeped, and Nick let himself in, face to face with a pig. "Here for Valentines?"

Nick smiled, holding out the chocolate and flowers. "Guilty as charged." He gestured with the chocolates, "North wing, two doors down?" 

"Same as ever. She's already there and we've set up a table for you two. I will have to check over your gifts. Don't want her getting too antsy you understand."

Nick nodded and handed them over. "How's she been?"

"Oh you know, quiet. Doesn't get visitors apart from you." Nick glanced at his paws. He felt guilty: he meant to come more often, but work was getting in the way. The thought of her cooped up in this place... "There we go, all checked." The pig grinned as she handed him back the chocolates and flowers. Nick couldn't help notice the tell-tale sign of chocolate on her trotters.

"No valentine's for you, Sue?"

She blushed, embarrassed. "No. It's hard to meet people when I'm here all day."

"Tell you what, you keep them. She'd appreciate the flowers more anyway." 

Sue's jaw dropped, "You sure? I mean..."

"Do it." He gave her a playful smack on her rump, "Today's Valentine's. I'm sure you'd rather have some chocolate to enjoy it with." Ignoring her protests, Nick walked off towards the north wing. Then he took the second door, and went into the cafeteria.

The room was quiet. Everyone else had been cleared out. Valentine's wasn't big here. Nick smiled as he saw her waiting there, candles lit on the table. The staff did everything had gone all out with setting up a romantic atmosphere.

"Happy Valentine's Day! How've you been? I got you these." He held out the flowers as he sat down opposite her.

Bellwether glared at him.

\---

"What? No valentine's kiss?" Nick couldn't help but grin. Bellwether had her hooves crossed, and her face was twisted into a furious expression -- brow furrowed, teeth clenched. Nick wasn't sure if she could even speak like that.

"Drop dead, Fox." Well, that proved him wrong.

"Would you at least take the flowers? I'm pretty sure you'd like them." He made another attempt at offering the bouquet. 

Bellwether grabbed the flowers from Nick, "Do you take some sick pleasure in seeing me like this, Fox?" with a swift movement she ripped off the heads of the flowers, "The idea that I'm trapped in here isn't enough, so you take time out of your oh-so-busy schedule to come rub my nose into it a bit more," holding out the flowerheads and stalks in opposite hooves, she dropped them either side of her.

It was the same every time. Bellwether would rant and rave at the start. It was good to let her get some of her frustration out, so Nick didn't say a word.

"No wait, is this all part of your master plan? You come here every month, try and get me to open up, and then all your little cop friends come running in again, just like at the museum. You may think you're smart, but you're not going to get me twice."

Nick still didn't drop his grin.

"And where's Hopps? That oh-so-proud bunny? I bet she's rolling with laughter at the thought of you coming to tau-"

"Judy doesn't know I'm here." Nick said calmly. He looked at the glass in front of him, and took a sip. He'd half expected Bellwether to have knocked it over. He didn't even taste any spit. She really was was warming up to him.

"What do you mean? You didn't even tell her you were blowing off your date to come insult me?" Bellwether tried glaring at him, but it was half-hearted.

"Judy and I aren't dating. In fact, she thinks we are," he took another sip, "and that you're a fox."

Bellwether made a strangled sound, halfway between a laugh and a cough, and grabbed her own drink. "A fox?! And... dating you?" She took a sip, and burst out laughing. "Seriously? You haven't been telling her where you go each month?" She actually sounded curious.

Nick gave a weak smile, "Well, I already get enough of a chewing out from Bogo -- who says hi by the way -- why would I tell her? And as for the date thing... Well, it was an easy lie. I come out once a month to see a woman, and have a meal together. Dating isn't too far from that."

"Oh god no!" Bellwether rolled her eyes. "You should go! I never asked for you to come see me here, and I don't want you to! Just go, and leave me in peace."

Nick's smile twitched slightly. "If you honestly didn't want to see me... why haven't you ever told them not to let me in?"

Bellwether opened her mouth, about to say something, but didn't. It was true. Nick had been coming by every few months, she'd rant, he'd make sly comments, and eventually they'd gotten into a routine. But for all her complaining, she'd never tried to stop him coming back.

"I understand what it's like, isolated, no one to talk to. I spent a lot of my time on the street. Not knowing if I'd get enough money to eat that day."

Bellwether sneered, "Scavenging out of garbage cans?" 

"When the choice is that or dying... sure I did it a few times. I also stole, conned people, did everything necessary to survive. Here at least you've got three square meals a day, a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head... But you're still lacking something."

"What? Friendship?" She rolled her eyes again, "not all of us can be like your little rabbit girlf- oh wait, that's true. She didn't want to hang out with a fox."

Nick laughed, "Judy's nice... but she's still not great. She just assumed you'd be a fox after all. I never told her that. Sometimes she can be a little," he held up a paw and waved it a little...

Bellwether smirked, "Racist?" Nick could see she was tickled by the idea of Judy not being perfect. Hardly surprising, given the circumstances.

"Patronising. She likes to think of herself as enlightened, but you should have seen her when she realised her neighbours were married."

"What's wrong with that?" Bellwether frowned.

Nick waited until she took another sip before continuing, "Nothing, they're both lovely guys." The candle went out in a spray of water.

"That's her problem?" Bellwether laughed.

"Well, you know what they say. You can take the bunny out of the burrows..."

"But you can't take the meadow out of the sheep. We've got a similar saying." She nodded, and took another sip -- Making sure he wasn't about to say something else.

Which was the perfect time for a pair of orderlies, accompanied by Sue, to bring in their meals. "Two house salads." Sue grinned, "you love-birds have fun!"

Bellwether stewed silently until they went. "You know she's been coming to me for political advice? Wants to run for Mayor?" She whispered.

"Really?" Nick glanced over at the door. "Why you?"

"You know I didn't get to assistant mayor by being stupid," she frowned. "I studied for my job."

"I thought you said it was Lionheart trying for the sheep vote." Nick speared a tomato with his fork. "Mm, crunchy."

"You remembered that?" She placed her hoof to her neck -- where her bell used to be -- jaw dropped in shock. "Well," she recovered, "It's not like he'd pick anyone to do it. I did use to be councillor of the Meadowlands after all."

"Not bad. See, when you get down to it, you're quite a reasonable sheep." Nick smiled as he took a fork-full of leaves.

"And you're not so bad -- for a fox I guess." She started eating, still keeping an eye on him as she chewed.

Nick returned her stare. She was obviously sizing him up, trying to figure out exactly what his angle was. Why he kept coming here each month, gradually getting her to open up. It wasn't friendship, but Nick still felt a kinship with her.

"So, have you considered what you're planning to do with your free time?" Nick wasn't about to let the conversation die, and Bellwether grazed thoughtfully.

"Free time? I'm here on terrorism charges. Half the time I'm in solitary, and often for my own protection. About all I can do is read." She wiped her mouth with a napkin, and made a small grin. "What's with the sudden interest in my life, Fo - er, Wilde?"

Nick ignored the question, and continued. "Well maybe you could convince Sue to get you a pardon if she gets in."

Bellwether chuckled as she picked out some croutons, "Sue's nice. But she doesn't have the political mindset. She can't resist acting on impulse. You saw that chocolate on her trotters."

"Ooh, well spotted," Nick smiled. "Maybe you should have become a cop."

"Hah!" Bellwether slapped a hoof on the table. "You think I would have lasted a day there? Look at me, I'm small, covered in wool. I couldn't make it through the course to even become a cop. Even with the Mammal Inclusion Initiative."

"Well, maybe not police work. But you've got a keen mind up there," Nick pointed a claw at the mass of wool atop her head, before lowering it slightly. "You said it yourself. No reason you couldn't get a job somewhere else. Especially if you do get a pardon. Political theory, maybe."

Bellwether stabbed her salad out of frustration. "Yeah, like anyone would come to a criminal for advice on politics." She looked at Nick and frowned, "And you dodged my question. Why do you care? It's not any of your business."

Nick chuckled as he finished off his salad, no sense putting it off any longer. "Well, you remind me a lot of myself actually -- I know it sounds crazy. But seriously, I've spent most of my life cheating, thieving, and scavenging. Because I felt there was no other way to survive."

Bellwether rolled her eyes, "And I turned to bio-terrorism for power. Yeah, we're cut from the same cloth here, Wilde."

"You wanted something, you took it. You didn't care about anyone you hurt along the way. Sure you had bigger goals than me, but when you get down to it, you were a hustler. And you pulled the wool over the eyes of an entire cit-" Nick froze for a second, "er... sorry."

Bellwether laughed, "Don't worry about it. So that's what it is? Professional courtesy from one criminal to another?"

"Not that." He took another drink, to give himself time to compose his thoughts as much as anything. "You're smart. You're cunning. For all your complaints, you did run a lot of city hall under Lionheart. If you went legitimate, you probably could make Zootopia a better place."

"Not afraid I'll ruin it again?"

"Ruin what? The city was already broken. Your plan would never have worked if it wasn't for people being willing to accept an easy answer." Nick grinned.

"True, it was kind of satis- er, scary how easy it was." Bellwether smirked. "So you think Sue has a shot for Mayor, and can whip up a pardon for me? You really think that airhead could do it?"

Nick leaned forward, "Sure. If you're half as good as you think you are, your advice could get her there easily. If you want, I can come around to help you two out... if you want me to come back for another "date."" Nick held up his claws for air-quotes.

Bellwether swallowed. "You mean, like friends? Why would I say yes?"

"Well, why not? Do you have anything better to do each month? Plus, you could have your fill of flowers."

"Oh... sorry." She glanced at the scattered stalks and heads on the floor.

"Don't worry about it. They're intended as an icebreaker, to get you talking to me. You have a tendency to clam up sometimes... when you're not ranting."

Bellwether drummed her hooves on the table as she thought. Nick could tell she was struggling. The idea of being friends with him, a symbol of all she'd fought against... But on the other hand, without him she'd be alone.

"Fine." She eventually said, "We can be friends. But that doesn't mean I'm going to take it easy on you, or that little bunny friend of yours." She jabbed her hoof in Nick's face. "After all, someone's gotta keep you and Sue from ruining my city."

Nick burst out laughing. "Still thinking of it as your city? I did too, once. Of course it is. It's our city together."

"Surrree... is that your idea of a campaign slogan?" Bellwether started giggling -- it was infectious.

"Maybe," Nick smiled as he extended his paw. "But I'm sure you could think of something better."

Bellwether took his offered paw. Obviously happier than she'd been in months. "It wouldn't be hard. Give me a notebook and the next time you're here I'll have a bunch of slogan ideas which will blow you away."

"I'm looking forward to it." Nick smiled. Maybe sometime he could bring Judy here to meet her. Maybe sometime Sue would end up mayor. But that was all in the future.

Right now, it was Valentine's Day.

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually a slightly reworked version.
> 
> You can hear the original being given a Blind Reading here: https://soundcloud.com/comicanon/a-foxy-valentine


End file.
